Through a career of working with at-risk individuals, Michelle Buell still possesses the drive to do more for her clients.
Her experience with assisting vulnerable people is widespread. Originally from Southern California, Michelle got her start in the public safety communications sector by spending nearly 20 years working as a 911 dispatcher. Following that, she transitioned into service as a telecommunicator CPR coach, where her responsibilities included delivering educational services related to emergency telecommunication practices and resuscitation science to her students.
Eventually, Michelle moved out of the arena of public safety telecommunications entirely by taking on volunteer work with at-risk youth, an area she still thrives in today. One of her more prominent past roles as a youth counselor at an emergency services program afforded Michelle the opportunity to provide shelter, intervention, and outreach services to select individuals in need. An emphasis on victims of trafficking, runaways, homelessness, and other crises through that volunteer work provided her with a solid foundation to continue making a difference in the lives of others through her efforts.
Michelle is working to further her education to scaffold her fields of professional expertise. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Behavioral Science* from the University of Arizona Global Campus in 2021, graduating summa cum laude and holding memberships across select honors societies. At present, she is working on her Master of Social Work with a focus on trauma at another institution, which mirrors her past experience of working with individuals who have experienced hardship.
Michelle’s other pursuits include certifications and memberships to relevant associations. She holds an Effective Case Management with Human Trafficking Survivors distinction and maintains a membership in the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars (GAHTS), in addition to several other crisis intervention and communication certifications. Recently, she earned a Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor certification from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, boosting her credibility further.
Through it all, Michelle finds a way to stay connected with her field through her full-time occupation and extracurricular commitments. In her current role, she works as a resident services advocate within a support program for adult female survivors of human trafficking, where she matches affected women with the appropriate resources. This effectively breaks the cycle of abuse in Michelle’s clients and empowers them to recover in a trauma-informed and victim-centered environment. Another commitment as a crisis counselor at a crisis text line, along with an adjacent content writer position, gives Michelle a holistic position in her organization. More recently, she worked as a participant in anti-trafficking efforts with the South Los Angeles Anti-Trafficking Committee during Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
Michelle’s passion for helping others is exhibited through her many efforts to stay current in the workforce. Once she experienced the positive results of her study and work through her client base, her desire to push toward a higher caliber was the catalyst to her success. Michelle’s efforts will only benefit the communities she works with in the present and future.
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Student success stories should not be interpreted as a promise or guarantee of career advancement or future earnings. The stories shared here represent the outcomes of individual students for illustrative purposes only.
*Successful completion of this program by itself does not lead to licensure or certification in any state, regardless of concentration or specialization. Students seeking licensure or certification in a particular profession are strongly encouraged to carefully research the requirements prior to enrollment. Requirements may vary by state. UAGC does not guarantee that any professional organization will accept a graduate's application to sit for any exam for the purpose of professional certification.